I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and method for thawing frozen pipes in a safe and cost-effective manner.
II. Description of Prior Art
In many areas throughout the United States and other countries, the temperature in the wintertime, for example, gets so cold that water pipes that are near exterior walls tend to freeze up. Frozen pipes are not only an inconvenience, but if not attended to, could rupture leading to expensive and sometimes dangerous situations.
Usually, when a pipe freezes, the homeowner has only a few options, none of which are particularly desirable. The homeowner could just "wait it out" and hope the pipe does not burst while waiting for the weather to warm up enough to thaw the pipe. This wait and see approach could be risky leaving the pipe vulnerable to rupture, not to mention the inconvenience of going without running water from that pipe for a possibly prolonged period of time. Another common approach is to attempt to thaw the pipe by applying heat to the pipe such as with a hair dryer or a torch. In these cases, either insufficient heat may be applied or the danger of fire is greatly increased. A third alternative is to cut into the ceiling or wall of the house to expose the frozen segment of the pipe to room air or to apply heat directly to the frozen section. Not only is this expensive and destructive, it leaves the homeowner exposed to the same risks of fire when heat is used.